Machine for severing and driving corrugated fasteners



Sept. 7, 1948. A. E. cRANsToN, JR 2,448,801

MACHINE FOR SEVERING AND DRIVING CORRUGTED FASTENERS ATTORNEY Sept. 7, 1948. A. E. cRANsToN, JR 2,448,801

MACHINE FOR SEVERING AND DRIVING CORRUGATED F'ASTENERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 31, 1945 S 1 21 wg fllfllgla INVENTOR. ALBERT E, CRANSTON JR Sept. 7, 1948. A. E. cRANsToN, JR

MACHINE FOR SEVERING AND DRIVING CORRUGATED FASTENERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 31, 1945 ,F1- -5 I NVENTOR.

LBERT ECRANSTON JR ATTORNEY f Patented Sept. 7, 1948 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR SEVERIN G AND DRIVING CORRUGATED FASTENERS Albert` E. Cranston, Jr., Portland, Oreg.

Application July 31, 1945, Serial No. 608,019 'z claims. (o1. .1 -8.1)

This invention relates to improvements in machines for severing and driving corrugated fasteners.

One of the principal objects of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character which is pneumatically or hydraulically actuated to advance, sever and drive into work being dealt with predetermined lengths of the fastener material.

A further object of the invention is the pro` vision of means for rendering the device automatic in its operation throughout its entire operative range.

A further object of the invention resides in the particular pneumatic or hydraulic actuating mechanisms for the machines which enables them to be readily connected in multiples for actuating and controlling the operation of a plurality of the machines.

A still further object is the provision of means for retaining that portion of the fastener ymaterial that has been severed and for yieldingly supporting the remaining portion of said material during the severing operation.

The foregoing and other objects will be apparent as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specication, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and nally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine for severing and driving corrugated fasteners, made in accordance with my invention, with parts broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary Vplan view of the severing mechanism and yielding support for the fastener material. ,Y

Figure 5 is a sectional end elevation taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a typical fastener-cutting element. y

Figure 7 is a kperspective detail view lof the yieldable support for the fastener material. i i

Figure 8 is a perspective detail view of means for actuating one of the cutting elements.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of two pieces of material such'aswood, or the like, joined together by a fastener elementcut into proper length and driven by the device made Vin accordance withmy invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawmgs:

With reference to Figure 1, reference numeral I indicates a vertical column or support to which is adjustably mounted by means of set screws 2, or the like, an arm 3, to whose outermostend is attached or formed integral with `a cylinder 4, closed at its upper end as at 5 and at its lower end by a wall 6, held in place by bolts 1. Slidably mounted within the cylinder V4 is a piston 8 provided with a connecting rod 9, extending through the wall E and bifurcated as at |0 at its lower end to receive a plunger I, secured in place by a bolt, or the like, as indicated at l2. Interposed between the wall 6 and the piston 8 is a cornpression spring I3, whose one ends bears against the Wall and whose opposite end bears against the underside of the piston, for the'purpose of urging the piston upwardly to the top of the cylinder. The upper end of the `cylinder is in open communication, through connection I4, with the body of an air valve, generally indicated at I5, formed with an exhaust port I6 open to the atmosphere, and also in open communication, as at I1, with an air supply line I8 extending from a source (not shown) through a pipe I9. Mounted within the valve housing |5is a rotary element 20, ported as at 2|, communicating with a branch port 22 and rotatable by an arm 23 pivotally connected as at 24, with a manuallyactuated rod 25. In the position of the valve I5, as shown, air is directed through the valve into the cylinder 4 to drive the piston 8, its connecting rod El and plunger Il downwardly to drive the severed portion of the fastener material into the work being dealt with, which will be more fully hereinafter described. l

l Slidably'mounted in a vertical position, throug the top wall 5 and the cylinder 4, is a plunger 26` made leak-proof by suitable packing glands' of conventional form, generally indicated at 21. The upper end of the plunger is connected by a link 28, With an arm 29, connected with a rotor 30 within an air valve body 3| for rotating the same. The valve body 3| is in open communication as at 32 with a branch 33 of the air supply line I9. The valve body is also connected by a pipeline 34, with an air cylinder 35, within which is slidably mounted a piston 36 working against a coil spring 31 and provided with a connecting rod 38.

The rotary member 30, within the valve 3|, is ported as at `30 and 40 for either exhausing air from the cylinder 35 in the position or the rotor 30, as shown, wherein one leg of the port 39 3 registers with the exhaust 4I in the valve body, or for directing pressure from the branch pipe 33, through the connection 32, the port 39 and pipe 34 for moving the piston 36 to the left, as viewed in Figure 1.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that, with the rotary member and its port 2l in the positions shown, air pressure coming from the source I9 will force the piston 8 downwardly within the cylinder 4, and that rotation of the rotary member 29 into a position where the branch port 22 registers with the communication I4 with the interior of the cylinder 4 andone of the ports 2! then registers with the exhaust port I6, that the piston 8 will be allowed to rise under the influence of the compression spring` I3. the piston 8 nears the end of its upward travel within the cylinder, it contacts and moves upwardly the plunger 26, which, through the link 28, rotates the rotary member 36 within the valve housing 3l into a position wherein the ports 39 are moved into a position to direct pressure from the branch supply line 33, into the pipeline 34, and into the cylinder behind the piston 36 therein, to move the same to the left, as viewed in Figure 1.

The connecting rod 38 slidably extends through bearings 42 and 43 in one end wall of the cylinder 35 and an end wall of the housing 44, respectively. A portion of the underside of the connecting rod 38, to the left of said end wall of the housing 44, is reduced or flattened, as at 45,'and the terminal end `of said connecting rod slidably extends through a bearing 46 carried by the opposite end of said housing to serve as a plunger to actuate other elements to be hereinafter described, for actuating cutting elements for severing the fastener material in predetermined lengths.

To the flattened portion of the connecting rod 38 Iattach, byv screws or the like, a plate 41, upon which is pivotally mounted, as at 48, (see Fig. 2) a pawl 49 adapted to rotatea ratchet wheel 58, keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft 5I forrotating the same. As the connecting rod 39 moves to the left, as viewed in Figures 1 and 2, the ratchet wheel 59 will be rotated in a clockwise. direction through the medium of the pawl 49. To the `lower end of the shaft 5I I attach a toothed wheel 52-(see Fig.. 3) oppositev a companion toothed wheel 53 rotatably mounted on a shaft 54. f

The fastener material, indicated at 55, in Fig. 3, is drawn from its source of supply (not shown) and is fed in a vertical position through a channel 56 formed by plates 51 and 58 into and between theltoothed wheels52 and 53, which, when rotated, advance the fastener material through a normally aligned channel 59 (see also Fig. '1) formed throughout the length of a block 60, pivoted as at 6I to the bottom of the housing 44, as shown in Figure 1. The shafts 5I and 54 are rotatably mounted with respect to the base 62.

'After leaving the channel 59 in the block 66,

the fastener material is advanced through a block' 63 between a cutting blade 64 carried and movable with the block 63 and a stationary cutting blade `65 xedly mounted with respect to the base 62. The block 63 is slidablev within a cavity 66 and its lower end is backed by a compression spring 61. The upper end of the block 63 is formed with a projection 63 for engagement with a notch 68A in a shaft 69, which, when rotated,

moves the cutting edge of the cutting blade 64 across the cutting edge of the cutting blade 65 4 and thereby severs the fastener material between them.

To the upper end of the shaft 69 is secured a quadrant 10, upon whose upper surface is formed a projection 1I, arranged in the path of movement of the shaft 38 so that as the shaft is thrust to the left, as viewed in Figure 2, by the piston 36 in the cylinder 35, as aforesaid, it will actuate the cutting blade as aforesaid. When the cutting blade 64 crosses its companion cutting blade 65, the block 60 will yield out of alignment with the channel 56, as shown in Figure 4, around itszpivot point 6I during the cutting operation and dueito the action of the spring 61 the fastener material :extending through the block will be returned to its normal position as shown in Figure 3 .aftertheconnecting rod 38 has been retarded by the exhausting of the pressure within the'cylinder 35 and thevinfluence of the spring 31. The exhaustion of the cylinder 35 is accomplished by the action of a tension spring interconnecting the Valve arm 2.9 and the top 5 of the cylinder 4 to at all times draw the arm 29 downwardly into an exhausting position, as shown, when the piston 8 has been driven' downwardly within the cylinder and out of contact with the lowerniost end of the plunger 26. The downward movement of the plunger 26 is limited by a limit stop 8| secured thereto and so positioned as to bring the ports 39 and 40 into registry withthcir respective intake and exhaust ports.

The severed end of the fastener material has now been positioned beneath the plunger II, which, as previously stated, is driven downwardly by the air-actuated piston 8 within the cylinder 4, against the influence of the compression spring I3, to drive'the fastener 12 into abut-l ting pieces of material to be'joined together such as indicated at 13 and 14, whichare disposed upon a supporting platform 15, carried by the column I for vertical adjustment with respect thereto and adapted tobe locked in any of its adjusted positions by means of a set screw 16, or the like.

After' the fastener 12 has been driven into the work being dealt with by thepiston 8, and the rotor 26 of the valve I5 has been rotated to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, to bring the port 22 into communication with the interior of the cylinder 4 and a portion of the port 2I into communication with the exhaust port I6 by movement of the rod 25, the compression spring I3 forces the piston 8 upwardly within the cylinder and lifts the plunger II upwardly andy out of the way of the next advancement of the fastener material to be` severed and positioned beneath the plunger. When the piston 3 approaches the limit of its upward travel it contacts' and forces upwardly. the plunger 26, link. 28 and arm 29 to rotate the valve rotor 30, to move both portions of the port 39 into communication. with the branch supply line 33 to direct pressure therefrom into the pipeline 34, thence into the cylinder 35 behind the piston 36 to again force it and its connecting rod 38 to the left, as viewed in Figure 1, to repeat the cycle of operation just described.

For stabilizing the severed portion 12 of the fastener material now disposed below and to be driven by the plunger II, I provide a plunger 11 slidablymounted within a cavity 18 and backed by a compression spring 19 to exert sidewise .pressure against the staple 112. The outermost end of the plunger 11 is rounded, as shown, to

freely allow the following portion of the fastener strip 55 to advance into position to be cut and stabilized as aforesaid.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for severing and driving corrugated fasteners, said machine comprising means for supporting Work pieces in position to receive a fastener, fluid pressure actuated means for advancing -a supply strip of fastener material through a cutting mechanism and means operable by said pressure actuated means for severing the supply strip to form a fastener of predetermined length, and means for driving said fastener into the work pieces.

2. A corrugated fastener severing and driving machine comprising a base adapted to receive fastener material from a source of supply, a channel formed on the base to receive the fastener material, means for drawing said material through the channel and for advancing it through a cutting mechanism carried by said base, said cutting mechanism being operable by means actuating the drawing and advancing means, the advancing means being timed for severing the fastener material in predetermined lengths, and means superimposed upon the base for driving the severed portion of the fastener material into the Work being dealt with.

3. A machine for severing and driving corrugated fasteners, said machine comprising an adjustable support for work pieces in position to receive a fastener, a base disposed above said support, fluid pressure actuated means for advancing a supply strip of fastener material along the base and through a cutting mechanism disposed thereon and also actuated by said pressure means for severing the advanced supply strip to form a fastener of predetermined length, said means for advancing and said means for severing being operable in timed relation to a second fluid pressure actuated means for driving said fastener element formed by the cutting mechanism into said work pieces.

4. A machine for severing and driving corrugated fasteners, said machine comprising an adjustable support for work pieces in position to receive a fastener, a base disposed above said support, fluid pressure actuated means for advancing a supply strip of fastener material along the base and through Ia cutting mechanism disposed thereon and also actuated by said pressure means for severing the supply strip to form a fastener fof predetermined length in the path of movement of and in timed relation to a second fluid pressure actuated means for driving the said formed fastener element into said work pieces, and valve means for directing pressure into said second pressure actuated means, and valve means operable by the latter for directing pressure into said first mentioned pressure actuated means.

5. In a machine for severing and driving corrugated fasteners andthe like, fluid pressure operated means for driving said fasteners, a second fluid pressure operated means for adyancing a length of fastener material and for severing said material to form individual fasteners, and means responsive to the action of said first pressure operated means for actuating said second fluid pressure operated means.

6. In a machine for severing and driving corrugated fasteners and the like, fluid pressure operated means having a driving stroke and return stroke for driving said fasteners, uid pressure operated means for advancing and severing a length of fastener material to form individual fasteners to be driven by said driving means, and control means actuated by said driving means on the return stroke to initiate the operation of said advancing and severing means.

7. In a machine for severing and driving corrugated fasteners and the like, fluid pressure operated means having a driving stroke for drivE ing said fasteners and having a return stroke, fluid pressure operated means for advancing and severing a length of fastener material to form individual fasteners to be driven by said driving means, a valve for controlling said advancing and severing means, and a member actuated by the return stroke of said driving means for operating said valve to initiate the operation of said advancing and severing means.

' ALBERT E. CRANSTON, Ja.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

